(CNN) -- Archaeologists are reveling in the discovery of an ancient
synagogue in northern Israel, a "monumental" structure with a mosaic
floor depicting the biblical figure of Samson and a Hebrew
inscription.

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The synagogue -- dating to the fourth and fifth centuries in both the
Talmudic and late Roman periods -- is in Huqoq, an ancient Jewish
village in the country´s Galilee region, the Israeli Antiquities
Authority said.

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Jodi Magness, a professor of early Judaism in the Department of
Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill,
said the building was found in a recent excavation.

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She called the find "exciting" and described the "very high quality
of the artwork" in the mosaic, crafted with "tiny colored stone
cubes." Only a few late Roman period synagogues contained mosaics
with biblical scenes, said Magness, one of the leaders of a U.S.,
Israeli and Canadian team engaged in the digs.

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"This discovery is significant," she said, calling the
site "extraordinary" and "stunning."

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Samson was known for enormous physical strength and his fighting
prowess against the Philistines, the enemy of the Israelites.

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His story, recounted in the Bible´s Book of Judges, mentions Delilah,
a Philistine woman who worked to undermine Samson. She cut his hair
after she persuaded Samson to reveal that his long hair was the
secret to this strength.

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Magness said the mosaic scene shows Samson putting torches between
the tails of foxes. That image, from a vignette in the Book of
Judges, is a reference to Samson exacting revenge on the Philistines
by sending out flame-laden foxes to burn their lands.

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She said the only other images of Samson in synagogues are at one
nearby place in the Galilee known as Wadi Hamam, where Samson is
seen "smiting" the Philistines with the jawbone of an ass. Another is
in what is now modern Turkey, depicting scenes from Samson´s life.

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Samson is also depicted in early Christian art, she said.

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Why is Samson portrayed and apparently revered in two synagogues
close to each other? Magness said she plans to find out.

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The other image contains two apparently female faces flanking a
circular medallion. It has a Hebrew inscription referring to rewards
for carrying out good deeds.